Chess Star Boycotts Iran Event over Strict Sharia Headscarf Law

NEW DELHI (AFP) – One of India’s top women chess players has pulled out of an upcoming championship in Iran in protest at having to wear an Islamic headscarf.

Soumya Swaminathan, a former world junior girls champion, said the dress code at the Asian Nations Chess Cup starting next month violated her rights.

“I find the Iranian law of compulsory headscarf to be in direct violation of my basic human rights including my right to freedom of expression, and right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion,” the grandmaster said.

“It seems that under the present circumstances, the only way for me to protect my rights is not to go to Iran,” the 29-year-old wrote on Facebook.

In 2016, US chess champion Nazi Paikidze-Barnes boycotted the world championship in Tehran after also refusing to wear the hijab.

“I understand the organisers expecting us to wear our national team dress or formals … for our games during official championships, but surely there is no place for an enforceable religious dress code in sports,” she said.

Swaminathan is ranked 97 among active women players in the world and fourth in India, according to the World Chess Federation.

The Asian Nations Chess Cup takes place in Hamadan from July 27 to August 4.